Over the years, I've come to expect that the American Civil Liberties Union will almost always represent an issue with which I wholly disagree.

However, I was shocked to learn that the ACLU has decided to defend the North American Man/Boy Love Association -- a group that advocates sex between men and boys -- against a lawsuit brought by the family of a 10-year-old boy who was murdered by two molesters.

The family of Jeffrey Curley, of Cambridge, Mass., claims that NAMBLA, through its website, incited the molestation and murder of the youngster in 1997.

Using the First Amendment's guarantees of freedom of speech and freedom of association as their legal justification, the Massachusetts chapter of the ACLU said it will defend NAMBLA.

"Under the First Amendment, there are no illegal ideas," the ACLU said in a statement defending their decision. "Those who commit illegal acts can be punished for wrongful conduct, but the expression of even offensive ideas is protected by our Constitution."

One of two men convicted in the murder, Charles Jaynes, 25, allegedly viewed the NAMBLA site shortly before he murdered Jeffrey Curley. He also possessed NAMBLA publications. (Also convicted of murder was 24-year-old Salvatore Sicari.)

These men were sexually obsessed with young Jeffrey. They lured him from his neighborhood by promising him a new bike. They then smothered him with a gasoline-soaked rag when he resisted their sexual advances. Jaynes allegedly molested the boy after he was dead. They then stuffed the boy into a concrete-filled container, which they dumped into a river.

Lawrence Frisoli, the Curley's attorney, said, "The commission of crimes is not constitutionally protected by the First Amendment. They participate. That's the allegation of the lawsuit, that the organization is participating in the rape of children."

Mr. Frisoli says that NAMBLA assists its members in raping children by educating them on how to locate victims, how to gain their trust and how to avoid law enforcement so they won't get caught.

While NAMBLA says it "speaks out against societal oppression and celebrates the joys of men and boys in love," the fact is that their information appears to have been utilized by one of the two killers just prior to the commission of their unspeakable crime.

According to the Associated Press, ACLU officials said that NAMBLA argues for changes in society's views about consensual sex between adults and minors and a lowering of the age-of-consent. Harvey Silverglate, an ACLU board member, told AP that NAMBLA does not advocate illegal acts and, even if it did, that, too, would be protected by the First Amendment -- even though it is illegal in Massachusetts to have sex with a child under 16.

I find this callous insensibility toward the law to be quite disturbing -- especially when those being protected in this case are men who so maliciously raped and murdered an innocent young boy.

While debating this topic on CNBC's "Rivera Live" earlier this week, renowned civil libertarian Alan Dershowitz, who supports the ACLU's action on this issue, suggested that, in the future, America will understand why the ACLU took on this controversial case. He claimed that this case was similar to the ACLU taking on other contentious cases, such as the Nazis marching in Skokie, Ill.

With all due respect, I completely disagree with Mr. Dershowitz.

A group like NAMBLA -- which advocates the legalization of horrendous actions against children (in the name of "love," no less) -- does not deserve constitutional protections. There is no way that one can argue that our Founding Fathers had the protections of child molesters in mind when they drafted the greatest document the world has ever known.

The real tragedy here is that the actions of child molesters are today gaining mainstream acceptance.

• Last year the American Psychological Association printed a study actually suggesting that victims of child sexual abuse suffered less psychological trauma than once suspected. After receiving heavy criticism from many of our nation's religious and moral leaders -- including me -- the APA ultimately decided to distance itself from the study. However, the message was clear: influential leaders of the organization were willing to open the door to the notion that child sexual abuse may not be such a terrible thing.

• Last year, President Clinton's nomination of the openly-homosexual James Hormel (a wealthy Democratic supporter) as ambassador to Luxembourg was met with critical reaction from conservatives because his James C. Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center (located at the main branch of the San Francisco Public Library) featured depictions of pedophilia. Nevertheless, Mr. Clinton sidestepped Congress and utilized a recess appointment to assign Mr. Hormel to the post.

• The homosexual community has quietly embraced NAMBLA. A group called the Spirit of Stonewall, in a June 26, 1994, article titled "NAMBLA Marches With Us," wrote, "NAMBLA's record as a responsible gay organization is well known. NAMBLA was spawned by the gay community and has been in every major gay and lesbian march. It has demonstrated in solidarity with people with AIDS, and for lesbians in custody cases ... NAMBLA publicly condemns the exploitation of children, including genuine sexual abuse."

Notice that the word "genuine" is used when talking about sexual abuse. That is because NAMBLA contends that young boys should be permitted to determine for themselves when they will participate in sexual activity with older homosexuals. Therefore, according to their reasoning, if a boy is credulously accepting of homosexual advances by an older man, there is no real sexual abuse of that boy.

It's an indefensible premise.

I find it hard to believe that I would actually have an opponent in arguing against a group like NAMBLA. However, in our morally nebulous society, the unthinkable is now becoming increasingly accepted.

The result of this defiance against moral absolutes is that pedophilia has now become a national epidemic.

My friend, Sheriff Mike Brown, who spearheads the Bedford County, Va.-based Operation Blue Ridge Thunder team that has been responsible for arresting dozens of child sexual predators, tells me that the Internet is jam-packed with pedophiles in search of child pornography and actual connections with gullible children they hope to seduce and molest.

It is high time our nation realizes that what was once a dark social undercurrent is becoming mainstream and gaining unbelievable respectability.

The result of this continuing moral chaos will be that more and more children will fall victim to these venomous sexual predators -- while leftist social engineers continue their campaign to minimize the devastating consequences of their vile actions.

God bless Lawrence Frisoli as he attempts to gain justice for young Jeffrey Curley and his family. And shame on the ACLU for stooping so low that they would defend a group as sordid and treacherous as NAMBLA.